Miranda Liu

Background

About Miranda Liu

Confession: I loved blogs, forums, and chatrooms as a teenager. At the time, it made me a nerd, but I loved connecting with others who shared the same hobby but differed from me in every other way. I learned about so many other cultures and made lifelong friends with whom I stayed in contact for years. Who would have thought that my nerdy hobbies in high school would lead me to a career in admissions, alumni relations, development, and communications at some of the oldest and most recognized international schools in Japan? I love working in international school advancement, particularly in the area of admissions and marketing, because it allows me to connect with and amplify a school's mission while using and expanding upon my skills in communication, content writing, media, and design. I look forward to sharing about the school with prospective students both directly and indirectly—I love both meeting a family in person and sharing with them about our unique programs and curricula as well as creating easy-to-use print and electronic materials to help prospects understand what makes our school special. Nothing excites me more than using feedback and constituent data alongside professional learning of best practices to propose new plans to meet unmet needs in our admissions processes and create better customer experiences for applicants. Admissions is all about building and maintaining relationships through clear and empathetic communication, which is a passion of mine that makes work not feel like work! I also thrive on being at the forefront of positive change to benefit my organization. In my first year in this role, I have spearheaded a number of new initiatives, including a new set of printed materials to help applicants more easily learn about our programs and a streamlined online registration process for school tours and Open Houses. In my previous admissions position, I was also ecstatic to see a 50% increase in overseas applications after researching, proposing, and implementing a more streamlined overseas application procedure. To me, my job is never done—I am constantly seeking to find new areas for improvement. Outside of work, I love to network and to pay it forward where I can. I have spoken at JET conferences and for university students considering careers in Japan. If you're also in international school Development or MarComms, please reach out; I would love to compare notes. And to all the current/former JETs, I'm happy to help if you're interested in a career in Tokyo international schools!